Cardinal UpdateThe Cardinal looked impressive last weekend in Portland, recording shutouts against Gonzaga and Portland. Stanford opened the 2001 season with a 3-0 win over the Bulldogs and followed that with a 1-0 victory over the Pilots. The men are on the road again this week, competing in the adidas Cal Legacy Classic in Berkeley, Calif., against Loyola Marymount and No. 11 Cal State Fullerton.

Stanford in the PollsDespite recording back-to-back shutouts in their first two games of the season, the Cardinal dropped eight spots to No. 14 in the latest edition of the NSCAA national poll. SMU tops the list, followed by Washington, St. John's, North Carolina and Maryland. The Cardinal remained No. 14 for the second consecutive week in the latest Soccer America poll.

Scouting the LionsThe Lions bring a 1-2 overall record with them into the cal Adidas Legacy Classic. Loyola Marymount, which finished last season with a 10-7-1 overall mark and fourth place in the West Coast Conference, is coming off a tough 3-1 loss to Fresno State last Sunday in the Fila Cup Tournament. The Lions finished third in their tournament, which they opened with a 3-0 loss to Air Force on Friday. The Lions are led by returning West Coast Conference Player of the Year Arturo Torres, who has the team's only goal of the season and is the squad leader with nine shots on goal. The Lions are coached by Paul Krumpe, who has amassed a 23-27-5 record in three seasons. Stanford routed Loyola Marymount 9-1 in 1983 in the only previous meeting between the two schools.

Scouting the TitansNo. 11 Cal State Fullerton finished last season 15-6-1, good enough for first place in the Moutain Pacific Sports Federation. The Titans are 1-0-1 so far this season, courtesy of a first place showing at the FILA Classic Tournament last weekend in Fullerton which included a 2-1 upset victory against then-No. 8 Clemson on Friday. The Titans then battled Loyola (Md.) to a 2-2 tie in Sunday's match. Cal State Fullerton defender Brent Hamilton was selected the Most Valuable Player of the tourney, while Titan Jason Clifford earned Defensive honors. Al Mistri enters his 21st season as head coach of the program and has accumulated a 229-150-31 record over that stretch. Stanford and Cal State Fullerton met last season in an NCAA First Round match, with the Cardinal claiming a 4-0 victory. Stanford holds a 4-3-2 edge in the series between the two schools.

The Simon FileHead Coach Bret Simon begins his first season as head coach of the Stanford men. Simon, a 1980 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, came to The Farm in February of 2001 after serving as the men's head coach at Creighton University for the past six seasons. Simon guided Creighton to its most successful season in school history last year, as the Bluejays (22-4-0) earned a trip to the College Cup for the second time in five years before falling to Connecticut in the championship match. A four-time Coach of the Year honoree, Simon compiled a 96-26-9 overall record in six seasons at Creighton. Simon's 96 wins are the most victories ever by a Bluejay soccer head coach. Simon also led the Bluejays to four Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships, a pair of MVC regular-season titles and six NCAA Tournament appearances.

Sunday Could Be Special for SimonSunday's game against Cal State Fullerton has the potential to be a very memorable day for Stanford head coach Bret Simon. If Stanford wins Friday against Loyola Marymount and is victorious again on Sunday against the Titans, Simon will have reached 100 victories in just his seventh year as a head coach and first on The Farm. Simon compiled a 96-26-9 overall record in six seasons at Creighton, and those 96 wins are the most victories ever by a Bluejay soccer head coach.

The More Things Change, The More.......Most teams would require an adjustment period following the loss of seven letterwinners and a new coaching staff in place, but the 2001 Cardinal squad is making the transition look rather easy. The Cardinal defense, which led the nation with a 0.44 goals against average last season, opened the 2001 campaign with consecutive shutouts. Stanford has been dominant early on, allowing only 15 total shot attempts and five shots on goal. A repeat performance of last season will be a tall order, however, as the Cardinal recorded shutouts in eight of its first nine games.

Starting StrongStanford's 3-0 season-opening win against Gonzaga last Friday was the fifth consecutive season-opening victory for the Cardinal. The team has won six of their last seven openers dating back to the 1995 season and its last three openers on the road. In fact, Stanford has finished with at least a .500 record or better for the season 16 timesin the last 21 years when they win their opener.

Cardinal Take Care of Business In PortlandStanford enjoyed their first road trip of the season, posting back-to-back shutouts against Gonzaga and Portland last week. In the opener against Gonzaga, three different Cardinal players scored en route to the 3-0 victory. Matt Moses, Derek Shanahan, and Roger Levesque each found the net in the victory, while Andrew Terris was solid between the posts notching two saves on the afternoon. The Cardinal held a 12-5 advantage in shots, while Gonzaga owned the edge in goalie saves, 5-2. The Cardinal followed that performance with a 1-0 blanking of host school Portland two days later. Todd Dunivant's goal in the 22nd minute off a Aaron Biddle cross was all the offense the Cardinal needed to secure the victory. Stanford outshot the Pilots by a 16-10 margin, and held an 11-3 advantage in shots in the first half. Terris turned in his second consecutive strong outing, recording three saves.

Scoring with a QuicknessWhen senior Matt Moses found the net at the 1:53 mark and gave the Cardinal a 1-0 lead in the season-opener against Gonzaga, it was something Stanford fans had seen before. Last season, to be exact. Stanford netted its first goal of last season at the 8:19 mark in their season-opening contest against Xavier. In 2000, it certainly helped when the Cardinal got on the board first- they posted a 17-2-0 record in such games.

Hermann Watch is in EffectSenior Lee Morrison was announced a s a men's candidate for the 2001 Hermann Trophy, college soccer's oldest and most prestigious player of the year award. Morrison, who was tabbed by collegesoccer.com as a Preseason First Team All-American earlier this month, was a finalist for the Hermann award last season and finished third in the voting for the Missouri Athletic Club in 2000, as well. The 2000 All Pac-10 First Team selection started all 22 matches for the Cardinal men last season and helped anchor the nation's stingiest defense. Morrison, a Second Team NSCAA/adidas All-American, tallied three goals and four assists last year. The candidates were chosen by a ballot of Division 1 college coaches and selected media.

Tourney-Tested Road WarriorsIt shouldn't take the Cardinal very long to become acquainted with the format of tournament play or the rigors of traveling this season. That's because Stanford will be competing in three consecutive tournaments in the month of September, with the first two away from Maloney Field. The Cardinal men opened the season in Oregon against Gonzaga and Portland, and will continue with an appearance at the adidas Cal Legacy Classic this week. A showing in the SMU Tournament, which features a rematch of last season's NCAA quarterfinal contest against SMU, concludes the stretch. Stanford's first home match is scheduled for Sept. 28, when they host Dartmouth in the opening round of the 5th annual Stanford/Nike Tournament. Traditional powers San Jose State, UCLA and Washington highlight this year's schedule in addition to the matchup with SMU.

Middle of the PacStanford was picked to finish third in this year's presesaon Pac-10 coaches' poll, tallying 17 points and one first place vote. Defending champion Washington edged UCLA by one point (22-21) to claim the top spot in the poll.

Tough To Find The NetStanford's calling card last season came in the form of the nation's stingiest defense. The Cardinal backline held opponents to just 10 goals in 2065:12 minutes for a 0.44 goals against average (GAA) with 16 shutouts in 22 matches. That same defensive intensity will be emphasized again this year, as the Cardinal will rely heavily on keeping opponents out of the net. Senior All-American Lee Morrison will anchor the unit, along with help from Todd Dunivant, Taylor Graham, Aaron Biddle and Travis James.

Changing of the GuardFor the first time since 1996 the Cardinal will be without the services of Adam Zapala, who concluded his Stanford career by posting 16 shutouts while leading the nation with an 0.45 GAA. Zapala owns or shares eight school career and single-season records, and proved to be a valuable team leader in 2000. Andrew Terris and Robby Fulton will handle the goalkeeping duties for the Cardinal this season.

Roger That- Levesque Leads OffenseLast year's offense was a balanced attack that finished with 68 goals and 71 assists for 207 points, and included 10 different players reaching double-digits in points. Despite the fact that only five of those 10 players will be suiting up for the Cardinal this season, the coaching staff likes what it sees. 2000 All Pac-10 Honorable Mention selection Roger Levesque has been tabbed as perhaps the leader of the offense, after ranking third on the team in points (21), fourth in goals (7) and fifth in assists (7) during last season's campaign. Freshman Matt Janusz and junior Mike Murphy are projected to contribute immediately as well.

Men in the MiddleThe midfield position features three veterans who should provide depth and stability. Abe Geiger, who was a member of the 2001 United States Under-20 National Team, was one of Stanford's top reserves last season and could be in for a breakthrough year. Seniors Matt Moses and Derek Shanahan each started all 22 games in 2000 and combined for 32 shots and 18 assists. Sophomore Mike Wilson should also be a valuable asset after a promising 2000 season.